The Supreme Tradition of Spelling Bees

We have much the same scepticism here in the UK when a bit of snow falls. "What about global warming?" they say.

"Hello ? this is WINTER ! We get snow in Winter, the sun has moved south"

I would really like to scoop up all those who are mocking the fact of climate change/disruption/extremes and drop them in one of the many areas where they have not had rain for years, or where their island is gradually disappearing beneath the waves.

Where I would agree, however, is that it is unlikely we can do much to make a significant difference, as the main contributer to the greenhouse effect has not been factored into the statistics - and that is water vapour. This is one thing humans have little or no control over. I cannot put my hand on the figures right now but it is a sobering thought that whatever we do we may not be able to affect the changing climate. That does not mean we have to stop trying, however, a low carbon economy would provide a great many benefits.

There is a lot about water vapour if you google, but try this one I found for you

http://www.skepticalscience.com/water-vapor-greenhouse-gas.htm

VeeM

The Day After Tomorrow

Today

There's saying mixed rain and snow this afternoon, snow after sunset. But accumulations of no more than an inch, and the rain may melt away that much or more.

From the Metropolitan Diary, not as cheerful as some:

A recent health problem led me to seek a cardiologist. On the recommendation of a friend, I called a Manhattan doctor to make an appointment.

In the process, I was introduced to his automated answering system — the name is slightly altered here — which left little doubt about the priorities typical in the health care industry today:

“Welcome to New York Cardiac Specialists. For the billing department, please press one. If this is a life-threatening emergency, please press two.”

Our GP posted a copy of his income tax form on the wall in his waiting room to show that he was not earning huge amounts of money.

You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.

Another piece of travel news from way back.

Stone tools found on Crete indicating human sea voyages at least 130,000 years ago.

In the distant (and not so distant) past, traveling by water was THE way to travel. At first it would have been rivers and coastlines, as it was much easier to move around that way; but it is remarkable when we think of the longer voyages undertaken across oceans. Probably some of the first were accidental when they were blown off course; but it is amazing how they learnt to navigate, and also how courageous they were to take the first long voyages not even knowing where they might end up....VeeM

The Malayo-Polynesians were pretty amazing. Everywhere from Madagascar to Easter Island (and I bet to Africa and South America too, but not surviving as a culture where there already were human populations, if they survived contact at all). But that was within the last 2000 years. The Cretan stuff is before Homo sapiens had left Africa.